Only Half
by Intemptesta Nox
Summary: Link faces more trouble than he ever could imagine when his shadow twin,Dark Link, trapped in the body of a child, steals the Spiritual stones in a desperate attempt of blackmailing Link and the sages into letting his Master go free.


The Hylian sky, home of the divine three, usually held the same color as his beautiful blue eyes..

But not today.

The sluices of heaven had been opened, and the cerulean blue sky was covered with heavy and dark clouds. Every now and then, it would be lit by a clap of thunder, and the sound of rolling boulders would carry across the sky.

An old Hylian legend stated; that every time it was raining, the holy sisters sat crying for their land; watering the thirsty and dry forests and washing away all the tears their people had shed.

Today, Link thought, the cause of their tears would be relief.

For a week now, Death mountain had displayed Din's anger by vomiting lava all over the mountainside. The goddess had not taken the absence of the Goron Ruby lightly, and had punished its guardians, the Gorons. The violent eruptions from the mountain's crater shook their town and made boulders fall from the stone roofs above them.

Her normally kind-hearted sister, Farore had reacted with the same fury as the heart of the forest vanished; The Forest emerald.

The Deku sprout, still growing peacefully in its usual clearing in the woods, its branches always decorated with fresh green leafs and surrounded by the brightly glowing fairies, had one day been found with it's branches hung low; drooping unhappily at the absence of its heart.

Creatures from the forest, which normally would have been denied entrance by the protective magic of the emerald, now roamed freely, and the Kokiri children were forced to stay inside.

The frost smoke fled from Link's mouth as he breathed, and the wet ground underneath him squished as he waked, his eyes lingered upon the welcoming castle gates, which grew steadily nearer. His presence had been requested at the castle, his judgement would be needed to sentence the one who had been found guilty behind the theft of the ancient relics.

The land was swaying; the elements were no longer balanced by the elemental stones. The rain would continue to pour until the emerald and the ruby returned to their rightful owners.

And now that they had the vile person who was behind everything, he was sure that everything would be fine in the end.

The torches set outside the castle bridge hissed like angry snakes and flared fiercely as the wind and the rain tried to put them out. He crossed the bride; the echoing sound of his footsteps drowned by the river's violent raging. It had grown large and fierce during the week, fed by the everlasting rain; it would soon rise above the rim.

Link's hand went to his forehead; he brushed his dripping hair out of his face with a weary sigh and continued into the castle town. There was no one there. The people were inside; He could see faint, shimmering lights through the curtains in their windows. The booths stood empty, and the shops were closed, there were no cheerful children running around, or salesmen announcing their wares, only the tired moans of the wind, and the sound of rain hitting the houses and pavement.

The first people he met were the unfortunate guards who had been set outside the castle, who looked, if possible, even wetter than he felt.

"Halt!" One of them cried, his voice slightly distorted by the hollow helmet he was wearing. He lifter the visor of the helmet up with a dripping hand, and Link could immediately recognize the eyes he saw; kind and framed by wrinkles. "Who goes there?"

Link took a step closer, and lowered his hood, "It's Link." He stated, even if it hadn't been necessary; the guard had recognized him, and the wrinkly eyes behind the visor smiled at him.

The guard chuckled "Good to see you, lad." He said cheerfully, "Lovely weather, eh?" He referred to the rain, which had seemed to pour down even harder after he had entered the town.

"Oh, yes," Link replied sarcastically, pulling his hood back over his head with a sigh. "Absolutely wonderful, Wallace"

Wallace tilted his head to the side, and leaned his helmeted head against his spear. He looked at Link, eyes traveling over his face as though he was searching for an answer in his young features. "Zelda's waiting for you'" He said eventually, stepped aside, and tilted his head towards the entrance "Hurry, before you catch a cold." He caught a glimpse of uncertainty in the guard's eyes, before the man let the visor drop back down against the helmet with a 'clank'.

Link sniffed, "I wouldn't worry about that." He said, smiling. "Just make sure you don't get sick yourself."

He entered the castle, his soaked boots making wet squishing sounds upon the white marble floor. He opened the clasp on his cloak and pulled it off; shivering as the wet fabric dragged across his equally wet tunic. It was clinging to him like a second skin, making him grimace at the tight feeling. He closed his eyes and shook his head, trying to get most of the water out of his hair.

He heard the clacking on shoes towards the floor, and he looked up. Coming towards him, was a short and plump woman, she was wearing a simple dress in soft shades of blue, and on top of that, a clean, white apron.

Link smiled apologetically, "I'm sorry, Nasha." He said, referring to the puddles on floor. "I didn't mean to make the floor wet."

The woman waved the apology away with an impatient hand. "Dear me, boy!" She exclaimed, "Look at you! You're drenched!" Her brows drew together. "Don't just stand there! You'll catch a cold in those clothes!"

Link chuckled, and let her make a fuss about his clothes and hair, before she laid a hand in the small of his back and pushed him forward, and into the large main hall of the castle.

It was as beautiful as always;

Patterns, including many of the royal emblems, were chiseled into the polished white marble walls, the windows were framed by curtains of the finest satin, and the dark floor was polished so well that he could see his reflection in it. At the end of the hall, there was a large fireplace. It was lit, fire crackling merrily within, warming and casting a vibrant glow across the shining floor.

"Sit down, Sit down!" Nasha ordered, and pushed the Hylian towards a row of mahogany tables that were centered in the middle of the room. "You'd think you didn't care about your health, boy!" She took his dripping cloak, and held it an arm's length away from her, "Kick your boots off, will you?"

And Link did as he was told; he pulled his feet out of his boots, making a loud sucking sound emerge from them as he did. Nasha snatched them up, and his socks followed suit.

"You sit here. I'll get you something hot to drink, and a couple of warm socks -Tut!" She hushed Link as he opened his mouth, trying to say that it wasn't necessary to do so. She huffed, "No." She bit out. "You might get cystitis."

Link closed his mouth. And he did not object again.

His cloak was hung on a chair by the fire and his boots were turned inside out and sat on the same chair. He soon found himself huddled in a warm blanket and provided with a steaming hot cup of tea.

"Nasha," Link started, and blew a cool breath over the rim of his cup. "Why are you flustered?" He asked the woman calmly.

Nasha looked up from the embroidery in her lap, her fingers tightening around the needle she was holding." I'm not flustered!" She denied, and lifted her chin, challenging him to prove otherwise. "The princess told me to make sure you were comfortable while waiting, and that's what I'm doing."

Link smiled, hooked his finger into the handle of the teacup and let the fruit-flavored liquid fill his mouth and warm his stomach. He placed the cup back down on its saucer and eyed the woman with polite curiosity. "Yes, indeed, that's what you have done." He agreed. "But there's something else.."

They sat in silence, the only sound in the room being the pleasant crackling of fire, and the soothing sound of the rain hitting the windows. Eventually, Nasha broke the silence;

"You'll be staying here tonight?" The question sounded more like an order, and she looked as though she would shove the teacup down his throat, spoon and all, if he was to refuse.

Link shrugged, "Depends," He said, and sat the empty teacup down on the table beside him. The thought of having to walk all the way back to Kakariko, and then sleep in an ice cold house didn't sound inviting, "I don't know how long the meeting will last." He admitted.

"I will make a bed for you in one of the guest rooms." Nasha stated without looking up, and thread a brightly colored thread through the eye of her needle, her eyes squinted in concentration.

Link chuckled. "Thank you, Nasha."

Link was warm and try when one of the castle guards came walking towards them, his polished armor clanking against the tiles of the floor as he walked.

The two of them looked up when he greeted them. "Sir Link. Lady Nasha." He said, giving them a short nod in turn. "I have come to escort you to the dungeon."

Link frowned.

"The dungeon?" Nasha exclaimed, "What business has he got down in that hole!"

The guard held up one of his gloved hands, requesting silence. "The princess thinks it appropriate that you see the prisoner before the meeting starts." He explained, he looked at Link his eyes narrowing thoughtfully. "And if I do say so myself, that it would be best if you did."

Link looked confused, meetings had never required him to go and see the prisoners himself. He looked at Nasha, and saw that she was carefully avoiding his eyes by fussing with her embroidery, frowning and mumbling as though she had made a mistake in the pattern.

There was something wrong. He had seen in the eyes of the people in the castle.

They knew something he didn't, and he wasn't so sure if he wanted to know what it was.

"Please come with me, sir."

Link was led down to the dungeons, and no matter how well he knew that Zelda never would lock him a dungeon, he couldn't help but fear that they would.

The dungeon was soggy and wet. Water dripped from the roof and into small puddles on the floor around him. The wooden doors were ancient and marked by decay, the rough, dark stones of the floor and walls were wet and slippery.

It couldn't have been a greater contrast to the richness on the upper floor.

The dungeon was a forgotten and rarely used part of the castle. No one bothered to check on the condition of the level that once had been the most used of the entire castle.

He was led to a cell.

_And it was empty_.

Link felt his heart stop, and fall into his stomach.

'_They are going to put me in it._' He thought miserably, thinking that it had been the reason why people seemed to act so weird. They thought he had done something. If it hadn't been for the fear that kept his heart hammering on the inside of his chest, he would have died there and then.

"Hey!" The guard shouted briskly, and gave the bars on the cell a sharp knock with the back of his gloved hand. "Get out here." He growled darkly, making Link's eyebrows rise and disappear into his golden hair.

He took a step back. "There's someone in there?" He asked in surprise. He got his answer; however, it wasn't the guard who answered him, but a hollow humorless laugh…_Inside his head._

"_Is there someone in there, he asks.."_

Link gasped, and one of his hands went to his ears, unconsciously wanting to block the voice out. He had heard that it before. It had been slightly different, but he knew it was the same. It sent chills up his spine, just like it had done before.

"_Yes, I say._"

A thin, bony hand, with skin so pale that Link could count the veins that snaked around it, emerged from the shadows, followed by an equally thin body; shrouded in a dark and torn cloak. His face was hidden, but Link knew exactly what he would find; Red glowing eyes, and a face framed by hair as dark as the night sky.

"You..." He breathed,

"_Yes, me.__ Do you remember me, hero?_"

"Yes, I do." Link admitted, and took a step closet to the cell. He knew the guard was looking at him as though he was mad. He was conversing with a voice only he could hear, and he only heard one side of it…_But he didn't care. _He felt pleasantly drowsy; Calm and content in every way he possibly could imagine. He wanted to see those stunning eyes, it was as though his life depended on it. He felt like a magnet; drawn towards the dark creature. _The missing part of his soul._

"Sir!"

Link jumped as a firm hand clamped down on his shoulder and pulled him backwards.

He hadn't realized it, but both his hands were on the call bars, and he had been about the stick his hand in between them, desperate to uncover the face in front of him

"W-What?" He blinked, and felt the drowsy and content feeling leave his body. He now felt dizzy and disoriented, it was as tough he had fallen asleep, and then woken up a completely different place from where he had closed his eyes. He felt something withdraw from his mind; it slid out like a snake, taking some of his warmth with it.

"He might be small. But he's not harmless." The guard warned him while frowning in concern at the flustered look on Link's face. "Made one of our guards try to impale himself on his own sword.." The guard scowled darkly into the cell. "Show him your face." He ordered, his hand still firm on Link's shoulder, in case he was about to try to reach the prisoner again. "The princess had commanded it."

Link shuddered; he didn't want to see this person's face anymore. He wanted to run home and never return to the castle ever again.

"He already knows who I am." Came the dark reply, completely different from the sleek and seductive voice he had heard before. It wasn't the whisper that had enchanted him, wrapped around his mind, and claimed his unwavering attention, but a hoarse, and tired. It was now that Link heard the low wheezing sound from the cell. It was very low, and sounded a wind flowing through a broken flute.

"I didn't ask if he did!" The guard's voice was slightly nervous, Link could hear it quivering, and he knew the creature behind the bars could too, because it laughed.

"Very well," The bony hand went to the opening hood, fingers taking a hold of the dark and worn fabric "I shall show you my face, even though you have seen it before. It's nothing new to you,"

The hood fell, and Link felt his breath get caught in his throat. He had already known, yet it still came as a shock to him.

"It's yours."

* * *

_Still, shallow and crystal clear water as far his eyes could see._

_Not a foe or friend in sight, only a dead withered tree stood alone in the middle of the room; branches stretched towards an imaginary sky, longing for a sun it never would see._

_An eerie feeling, yet the most complete he ever had felt. It was as though he had been looking for something, and now he had finally found it. What he had found, he didn't know yet._

_He took a step forward, his heavy, iron boots breaking the surface of the water and the silence as they clanked sharply towards the temple floor._

_And there he saw it; _

**_His reflection._**

_The young man in the water, identical to him, he was smiling, while Link wasn't. Link's dazed gaze wasn't reflected in the water, but a couple of ruby red eyes. _

_He bent down, his hand reaching for the surface, his head tilted in innocent curiosity. His reflection mirrored his moves perfectly. Until-_

_The hand shot out of the water and grabbed Links; pulling him down into the water that wasn't deeper than to his ankles. _

_Link closed his eyes in fright and surprise, suspecting that his head would hit thetemple floor– But it never did. He gasped; inhaling a mouthful of water and dragging it into his lungs. _

**_He needed air_**

_But he couldn't move. Something was holding his head under water. He could feel rough fingers tangled in his hair; holding him under. _

_"**It won't be easy to kill me, Hero.**"_

_Link gasped again. This time, his lungs filled with air; air which he hadn't needed. _

_He wasn't under water, he was standing. And he wasn't even wet._

_His hands went to his throat, his trembling fingers gripping it in disbelief. His breath rattled fearfully, and his heart pounded hard in his chest. What had just happened?...An illution?_

_"**Time to die, Link.."** _

_He turned, and his eyes fell upon the owner of the voice;_

* * *

"You…" 

The young face had been his once, when he had been a child. It was his, even though this face was worn by hunger and hardships. The cheekbones were more pronounced, his face narrowed by lack of nourishment. His skin had the color of wax, with the exception of the areas under his eyes, which had a soft shade of purple.

It didn't look like him at all, yet it did.

"Sir, do you know him?" The guard asked from beside him, his face contorted in disgust from the sight of the creature in the cell.

Link's face fell, and he nodded reluctantly. "Yes," He confirmed weakly. "He is me."

The sages, wisest among their races, all gathered that night. Their presence would be needed to secure the interests of their people, and their judgment would be needed to set the fate of the thief.

The dark creature didn't make any protests as he was led into the throne room and sat on a chair in front of everyone; free to the eyes of those who yet hadn't seen the one behind the unkindness to their land.

Everyone stared, their faces a display of disbelief, horror and anger. Only Link's eyes avoided the young boy in front of him, for every time his cerulean eyes met those of the shadow, his heart would lurch painfully in his chest, and he'd feel strange.

"The meeting is set." The king said and took his seat at the very end of the table. He had a clear view of the skinny boy on the opposite end. This man was the present ruler of Hyrule; a wise, middle-aged man with a kind face and a just sense of right.

The room was silent, and all the sages' eyes were now at him instead of the boy. They respected him, and knew better than to let their eyes wander off when the king was talking.

"Now tell me, boy," The king said, "What did you wish to achieve when you took the elemental stones from their rightful place?" His voice wasn't accusing, but calm.

"It is common courtesy," The dark child said, looking directly at the king, "To call a person by their name."

The silence which followed was tense; No one said anything, but it was clear that the sages weren't too pleased with his answer. A prisoner had no rights to what he had called 'common courtesy', especially not when he had been the one who had stolen two of the holy relics in Hyrule. It was too much to ask, but still, the king granted him this.

"Very well," The king said, "What is your name, young one?" He asked politely.

"My name is Dark Link." The child answered, and raised his chin defiantly. "And even though I am young, I am not a child. So spare yourself the bother of treating me like one."

The king nodded, and rand his fingers gently over his stubby beard. The sages however, didn't look as though they thought highly of this rudeness. If it hadn't been for the fact that they still didn't know where the Spiritual Stones were to be found, then they would have banished him, just like they had done to the Dark Lord.

"As you wish, Dark Link." He said, and then his kind eyes went to Link. He smiled to the hero, showing that he didn't suspect him, or blame him in any way, no matter how odd it was that Dark Link resembled him so closely.

"I took the stones," Dark Link began, "Because they were the best extortion material I could find. I will give them back to you, if you meet my terms."

Not even the king could stop the sages from showering Dark Link with their heated thoughts and arguments. Only Saria, Zelda, and Impa seemed to be the three of the sages who had enough self-control to remain on their seats.

Link looked pained; He was embarrassed and upset and wanted nothing more than to go home and forget everything. He felt so out of place; It was as though he was dreaming.

His eyes met those of the dark elf's, and he turned his head away, not even trying to hide it.

"This is unheard of!" Darunia boomed furiously, his anger reflected upon his large stocky body; veins were pumping wildly in his large forearms and his forehead. His was one of the two unfortunate races who had lost their elemental stone. " Are you forgetting, that you are at _our _mercy?"

Dark Link didn't look as though he had been threatened by the Goron's mighty appearance.

"That is wrong." He said, smiling wickedly. "_You _are at _my_ mercy. _I_ possess the knowledge as to where the relics are located, and without them, this land is doomed."

This was true, and the sages knew it.

A new, thoughtful silence engulfed the room, only the hard breathing of the sages could be heard, and the rain hammering against the windows outside.

"You are indeed the creation of that wicked man. You both share the ignorance and selfishness that has doomed so many before you. You truly are pitiful." Said a cold voice.

The sages' attention was claimed by the princess' harsh words. The princess sat at the side of her father, her arms crossed tightly under her breasts and her eyes narrowed angrily. The powder on her face wasn't nearly enough to hide the furious color which was raising in her cheeks.

Dark Link's smile twisted into a furious snarl, "I am _not _a product of my father's ambition!" He yelled furiously, his eyes narrowing into thin slits of glowing ruby. "I was _born_! Not _created_! In a land far away from this cursed place!"

Impa nodded to herself, Dark Link having confirmed something she had suspected from the very moment she had seen him. "You are from Eluryh." She said quietly.

The sages looked mildly interested in her words. None of them had heard of _Eluryh_ before, nor did they understand what the boy had meant by the words '_my father'. _But Dark Link didn't give them enough time to ask questions or make up theories and conclusions on their own.

"My terms are;" He bit out, forcing his voice back into a calm tone. "That you release my father, give him the remaining two pieces of the Triforce, and…" He smiled wickedly, "..Hyrule."

No one yelled. No one laughed. No one said anything.

The tone Dark Link had spoken in was serious. He knew how much they depended on the elemental stones, and he knew how much they would give to get them back.

"Why are you doing this?"

The sages' eyes went to Link. The Hylian had met Dark Link's eyes for the first time that day, and he was now looking horrified. "You will only live as long as I. If you don't return the stones, this land will be flooded and everyone will die. You will die, too."

How Link knew that Dark Link would die when he did, no one knew. But no one asked either. Link had spoken for the first time that meeting, and they did not want to silence him with questions.

Dark Link crossed his arms and scowled darkly at the golden-haired man.

"What have I got to loose?" He asked, "You took away everything I had; My happiness, my home, my family and my _life._"

Link frowned, "No, I didn't." He said defiantly. "I only defeated you because you tried to kill me."

Dark Link laughed, "Defeated me!" He shrieked, his voice humorless. "You can never defeat me! You stopped me, but you didn't defeat me!" He pointed a thin finger at Link, his tone accusing. "You forgot me, Link, but I never seized to exist! The reason why this land is in danger, is you! It's all your fault!" He said in evil glee, his ruby eyes mocking the golden haired warrior, who did nothing but shake his head in disbelief.

"It is not! I saved it! I didn't- I couldn't-"

"Your kind heart condemns you, Link." Dark Link said, "You didn't really want to kill me. You looked at me, and you saw yourself." His eyes narrowed darkly, "The magic bond between us saved me, even if I didn't ask for it. I still have a life to live, but no chance to live it, because of you."

"We didn't take anything you didn't jeopardy." Zelda said coldly. "Ganondorf, the man you call your father, threatened to destroy this land. He took the lives of thousands of good men and women." Her blue eyes narrowed, "What makes your happiness more important than the good of an entire people?"

Dark Link looked furious; his hands were clenched in his lap and shaking. If he hadn't been bound by the magic of the sages, he wouldn't have hesitated to hurt her. "I didn't say it was." He growled. "I just _don't care._"

Zelda stood up, so abruptly that her chair fell down and hit the floor behind her. "You are mad, selfish and ignorant! You'll die too!"

The chair Dark Link sat in jerked, as though Dark Link had wanted to get up too, but then suddenly remembered that he couldn't. "You call _me _ignorant?" He yelled, "_You _are the ones who thought everything was fine after you sealed my father! When you sealed him, you doomed an entire race!

Would it not have been wise to guard the relics, when you knew that there still were some people were loyal to him instead of you!"

"Only a mad creature like you would have done something as idiotic as risk the entire land!"

Dark Link slammed his hands down on the armrests of the hair, and despite how thin and weak his small hands looked, they would hear the wood complain loudly.

"Too bad for you, P_rincess._" He spat, his eyes flashing madly. "This land shall be ruled by my father, or there shall _be_ no land to rule!"

(End chapter 1)

* * *

Well, the first chapter is done, and I'm satisfied with how it turned out. It's more realistic than my first version of it. The main plot will be the same, and all the characters that appeared in the original story will eventually appear in this.

My summer holiday is in a couple of days, so I'll try to update as quick as I can.

And now, I shall return studying for my exam :has three books to read:


End file.
